Diary Series: Note to my future leader…

There was this one time some years ago, I had taken up on a project, a volunteering one, for which I had to deliver a specific amount of work once per month. The task was simple, and I was ‘hired’ as an expert on the field. When one becomes a copywriter though, its common knowledge that there is no such thing as uttermost expertise – there’s always someone proofreading and correcting your work. Either the chief editor or just simply, your Manager.

This came as quite a surprise to me at first, which I only came to get used to it as time and years of copywriting went by. You see, at that time, I was “living” the illusion that once someone requested my style and expertise, he would be welcoming with great joy, 85% of my deliverables. Soon, I realized that I was about, each and every time, to receive all kinds of comments; some were commas, some were requests towards a different style and some, instructions to follow the existent writing culture of my employer’s brand. Which all these were cool. And reasonable requests.

What I never seemed to comprehend though, is why I was directed to do something that any other person was quite as able to do, by simply researching for material and doing a perfect collage of the data drawn, maybe with a few or more insights also easily found on the web. Which means that, in the end, they didn’t need an expert or someone that could bring a new era/breath/feeling to their brand; but a “mini-me” of themselves.

In other words, what, to my reasoning, chiefs and managers failed to see, is that they had found someone with an unusual style in writing – a complex one I admit; with so many allegories and educational-oriented “colors” for our readers. But, instead of utilizing these different components, they preferred drowning it to routine and boredom, easily executed by so many people. Wait a second... They were seeking for novelty and excellence, no? Otherwise, why would they be searching for an expert? Well, aren't novelty, boldness and "colored" expression, what make something stand out from the mass? Unless if, the target was exactly that; to get lost among masses. Hmm...

That’s when I began realizing the difference between managers and leaders. Managers were the ones, to me, seeking to reach peak performance by simply targeting on results, sales and profit, while implementing whatever principle would lead them to the aforementioned. And alongside, they were forcing their subordinates to become their “mini-me’s”, only to act like them, stay aligned to their strict practice and therefore, reach their desirable performance, exactly as they have pictured it in the first place.

Whereas, leaders were the very few that came along my path, accepting me for what I am. Talented in my own way (aren’t we all?). Weird and different (aren’t we all, I repeat?), but with characteristics that could be acknowledged and developed in the best of sense, bringing a whole new scope and result to a project. And this is what I was craving for, from the very beginning of my career. Someone to explore my qualities and skills, identify and visualize their value, and cultivate them towards uniqueness. For what they are and can be; not try to eliminate and turn them into commonalities. Isn’t that what a leader does? Detect diversity, accept it openly while in simultaneous caution, exploit its best and build, in conjunction with other people's talents, a complete and state of the art puzzle?

If not, then the world would only need office employees, instead of artists, entrepreneurs, stuntmen, commandos, writers, doctors, etc. They all have (as they should) their own distinct “colors” and exquisite talents. Office employees too. Besides, a healthy corporate environment needs all kinds of professionals, experts and talents.

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Ethel Agelatou is a Career Branding Coach & an HR Consultant, as well as an Editor of Career Consulting Journals (online & offline), covering topics on personal branding, unemployment, HR researches, Social Media and entrepreneurship (businesscoachinglab.gr, wearesocialmedia.gr, kariera.gr, hominumopus.gr, HR Professional, CareerGuide.gr).

But most passionately of all, she is a LinkedIn Trainer & Evangelist, specializing in promoting and highlighting both Personal and Corporate Branding of LinkedIn users’ profiles, while conducting:

• In-house corporate trainings (customized services on clients’ needs/online brand)
• Open seminars (speeches/hands-on workshops)
• One-to-one sessions, improving personal or corporate e-branding

She has trained more than 1000 people via hands-on workshops and auditorium lectures, and collaborated so far with more than 12 organizations & associations.Follow Ethel's work on her LinkedIn Greek Community Facebook page, Twitter and About.me.